As wedding planners, the number one thing we see couples stress out about when planning their wedding, is taking on too many projects of their own, instead of hiring the respected vendors to do it for them. Adam & I always ask our couples “What is your time worth?” Because DIY projects tend to be a time sucker, and we don’t want that for anyone!

Rachel Leigh Photo - Venue: Urban Daisy in Minneapolis, MN

The thing is, there is always couples that really want to DIY some of their stuff for the wedding, we are not agents doing some projects, but over the years, we have seen couples get majorly stressed out by doing TOO MUCH DIY wedding stuff… So today we are giving you a list of things we see that tend to stress people out to much when it comes to doing it yourself… And a few things that we actually don’t think are that bad! Please understand, this is our opinion, and you know your limits and if you choose to take on these projects, were not judging, we’re just here to let you in on what we often see…

Tablecloths

I will put this bluntly, buying your own table cloths is such a pain for not that big of a payoff… There are so many rental companies that have really amazing quality linens, they come pressed and the fit the tables properly. Most catering companies will offer tablecloths as well, these are not as great of quality as rentals, but they are better than buying them. *note that most catering linens will not be floor length!

When you buy your tablecloths, you have to make sure they are the right size, you need to take them out of their bags and they are going to be super wrinkly and mid quality, so you will need to steam and iron them, then you will need to find a proper way to store them so that they don’t re-wrinkle.

Hair & Makeup

This is your wedding day, you will have thousand of pictures taken of you through out the day, this is a time to spoil yourself, so please please get your hair and makeup professionally done!

Pro Tip - Get a quality skin care routine started early, like right when you get engaged! Having your skin be in tip top shape is going to make your makeup look absolutely flawless on your big day!

Center Pieces & Other Big Decor Items

Do you want a room, or even worse (we have seen it) a basement, dedicated to decor for the next 6 months?

Also, do you want to spend weeks post wedding cleaning all the decor to try and resell it on FB? Probably not, so we always suggest renting decor, or getting decor through your florist. T

Now, if you want to add some personal touches to your day, we love that! We had a couple who had lots of brass animal figures, we used those around the space to bring in a touch from home! Cute personal items are not the same as making vases and collecting candles.

Catering / Bar

This is pretty obvious, but I see couples on the internet all the time seeking venues that allow you to bring in your own catering… You need a professional licensed and insured caterer for so many reasons, but properly cooked food is probably number 1, the other reasons, well, do you really want your aunt Sally cooking beans at your wedding? Who is going to serve and clear the plates? You don’t want your family doing that!

Flowers

If you are creative, it might sound fun to go buy buckets of flowers and create your bouquet and other flowers elements on your own, but what you might not think of is… Where will you store the flowers? Do you know the proper temp to keep the flowers alive? The time it takes processing the flowers, the things you need to properly assemble the flowers.

Photo Rachel Leigh - Venue Urban Daisy - DJ Benny Nord

DJ & Entertainment

Couples now a days seem to think they can create a Spotify playlist and rent a speaker and that is going to be equivalent to a professional DJ, but things that you might not realize a professional DJ does, like announcements and over all MC the evening, read the crowd and play music that keeps the dance floor poppin!

Day of coordination, Set - up, and Tear - down

You should get to enjoy the big bash that you planned, and hiring a wedding coordinator is the best way to do so! A proper wedding coordinator will have planning documents to help keep you organized, they will create a top notch timeline for you, they will be your buffer between all of your vendors on the wedding day, and they will assist in the set up and tear down of stuff, so that you and your partner can be present in your day!

Things we think you could DIY for your wedding

Signage & or Invites

If you are a crick person, or you like to get creative on Canva, designing your own invitations and save-the-dates can be a fun and creative way to set the tone for your wedding. Sip n Solves, signage, programs, escort cards, these are all things that you could create on-line.

There are plenty of online templates and design tools available, and you can personalize them with your unique style. Just make sure you find a local printing company to get everything printed!

Favors

Handmade wedding favors can be a sweet and memorable gift for your guests. Consider homemade jams, candles, soaps, or personalized items like custom keychains or ornaments.

Guest Book

Make your guest book special by creating a unique version. Ideas include a photo book, a fingerprint tree, or a custom artwork piece where guests can leave messages.

So there you have it, what do you see yourself doing for your wedding? Are you a crafty type that sees yourself doing a lot of wedding projects? Don’t let this blog leave you discouraged, feel free to take on as many projects as you feel called to, just try to give yourself ample time, and deadlines! Also don’t be afraid to pivot if you feel like you are in over your head! I often see couples continue through with their projects because they feel they need to, but honestly there is no shame in ending a project and finding a vendor to do it for you if it saves you your sanity!

Happy Wedding Planning!